Anbiya

Masjid al-Qiblatayn — Mosque of the Two Qiblas

مَسجِدُ القِبلَتَين — مَسجِدُ تَحوِيلِ القِبلَة

Medina (north-west, 4 km from Masjid al-Nabawi), Saudi Arabia
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Masjid al-Qiblatayn (the Mosque of the Two Qiblas) marks the site where the direction of Muslim prayer was changed by divine command from Jerusalem (al-Masjid al-Aqsa) to Mecca (al-Masjid al-Haram) in approximately 2 AH / 624 CE. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was leading the noon prayer when the Quranic revelation came: 'We have certainly seen the turning of your face toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram' (2:144). Uniquely, the prayer continued mid-rak'ah — those facing Jerusalem turned with the Prophet to face Mecca, completing the prayer having prayed toward two qiblas. This is why the mosque is called 'of the Two Qiblas.' The current building is a large modern mosque; the mosque in its earlier forms had two prayer niches (mihrabs) indicating both directions. It is part of the extended Medina Ziyarat circuit.

Why it Matters

Masjid al-Qiblatayn marks one of the most spiritually charged moments in Islamic history: the moment when the community of believers was definitively directed toward Mecca — toward the House of Allah, the Kaaba — as the axis of prayer. For Bohras visiting Medina, ziyarat here connects them to the prophetic moment that established the direction of every namaaz they have ever prayed. The two mihrab tradition reminds the visitor that Islam's qibla is not an arbitrary direction but a divinely chosen center.

Dua when visiting

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَاجعَل وُجُوهَنَا إِلَيكَ وَقُلُوبَنَا مُقبِلَةً عَلَيكَ كَمَا وَجَّهتَ نَبِيَّكَ إِلَى قِبلَتِكَ الْمُبَارَكَة

Get directions Open Medina (north-west, 4 km from Masjid al-Nabawi), Saudi Arabia in Google Maps

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